The Autumn Carnival: Confessions and Resolutions
by syrupjunkie
Summary: Pretty much classic CCS. A clueless Sakura, a red Syaoran, a Tomoyo with a video camera, a rude Meiling, an overprotective Touya. Just lots of fun. One shot, sort of. You'll find out why sort of if you read the author's note.


Author's Note:  Hello all.  This is really a chapter in another fic I'm writing, but that fic's sort of sad and I know some people really prefer happy, funny stories.  That's why I'm posting this separately.  I really think it can stand on its own as a one shot, so treat it like a full story okay?  As always, if you have something nice to say, please review.  If you don't, you can review too, just don't be too mean; I bruise easily. =(

            '…' –thoughts    

            "…"—talking 

            ____________- time change or scene change, usually both.

Japanese vocab (if you don't know already):

            Arigatou: thank you                                           Daijobu?:  Are you okay

            Un:  Right or Yes                                              Hai: Right or Yes

            Itai:  It hurts                                                      Gomen or Gomen nasai: I'm sorry

            Gozaimas: very much                                        Nani?: What?

            Kawaii:  Cute                                                   Ne?: Right?

            Matte:  Wait                                                     Demo: but

            Doshite?: Why?                                                Honto: Really

            Nande monai:  It's nothing                                Oni-chan: big brother

Disclaimer:  I'm not rich, I don't own CCS, CLAMP does.  They're rich though.

The Autumn Carnival: Confessions and Resolutions

            It was mild for early winter.  It was supposed to snow, but it was too warm.  The flags and banners were fluttering in the gentle breeze.  Three people were waiting at the entrance to the crowded Autumn Carnival.  Tomoyo had her camera cued and on standby waiting for Sakura's entrance, especially excited because she would be wearing a Daidouji Tomoyo design.  Meiling was hooked onto Syaoran's arm pulling him every which way, pointing at games and rides.  They had been there over a half hour and she was becoming annoyed.

"When is Kinomoto getting here?  She's already half an hour late."

            As if she heard, a loud "Hoe!!" echoed through the parking lot.  A girl on roller blades whizzed toward the group of three trying desperately to stop her momentum.  She found something suitable to stop her:  Syaoran.  In the next second, Sakura was sprawled on top of a furiously red Syaoran clutching at her spinning head.  "Itai!"  Noticing movement under her, she quickly jumped up with a "Gomen-nasai."  Unfortunately, she had forgotten she still had on roller blades as she bolted upward.  She tipped the opposite way about to fall again when someone her gripped hand and steadied her.  She beamed an "Arigatou" at Syoaran who returned the gesture with a violent blush.  

Meiling had noted this, her suspicions being proven true.  She longed to lunge at Sakura, to accuse her of stealing Syaoran from her, but she couldn't.  She saw the way Sakura looked, clueless beyond help with no other goal than to befriend both her and Syaoran.  It was frustrating; it wasn't helping that she caught Syaoran glancing at Sakura every other second and his frequent blushes every time she turned and smiled at him.  Meiling was determined to find out the truth today, one way or another.

________________________

            The line for the ride was long.  Meiling tapped her shoe repeatedly on the ground while jabbering into Syaoran's ear about school, clothes and whatever else that came to her mind.  She tried not to notice that he was ignoring her, instead focusing on a certain card mistress, but in the end she stopped in frustration.  "Syoaran?"  Not getting in answer, she gripped his arm tighter ignoring the yelp of pain she elicited.  "Syaoran?!"

"Nani?!"  His face showed annoyance at having been so rudely snapped out of his daydream, not to mention the residual pain in his arm.  

"I want to know something."  Meiling took a deep breath, gathering her courage.  "Do you have feelings for…Kinomoto?"  

"I—I…"  Syaoran was completely dumbfounded.  Where had that question come from?  He knew the answer was 'hai' but he just couldn't admit it, not to Meiling anyway.  She'd march up to the card mistress and tear her limb from limb.

Meiling saw his stammer, his face that had suddenly taken on a crimson hue.  As if she had heard his inner 'hai,' she cast her eyes downward.  It was true; he did love Sakura.  The anger was blinding.  If not for her training, she would have exploded in fury and probably done something she would have regretted.  Instead, she calmed down, pushing away her rage and listened to that annoying little voice in her head that told her to think rationally.  She finally had to face the voice telling herself,   'Syaoran could never love me as I wanted to be loved. He's in love with Kinomoto, since even before I came to Japan.  I was just in denial and I can't even blame her; she's doesn't have any idea. I'll accept this…for Syaoran's sake.'  Meiling's frown took on a small smile, though slightly unsettling.  'Even so, I still don't have to be her friend.'   With a sigh, she turned back around at the fumbling Syaoran.  "It's okay.  You don't have to say anything."  She set her face with a mischievous smile, and quickly grabbed his arm pulling him toward the food court all the while ignoring his protests.  "Come on! We're getting lunch!"

__________________________

            Kinomoto Sakura saw Meiling and Syaoran talking off to the side.  Inwardly she wondered what had Meiling so upset and Syaoran so red in the face.  Her thoughts, however, were cut short by the unblinking eye of a camcorder.  "T-Tomoyo?  Must you film me everywhere?"

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't capture Sakura's most kawaii moments?"  The violet-eyed teen sighed happily as she captured Sakura's every movement.  "Kawaii" she breathed as Sakura went dot eyed and blushed in embarrassment.  A slight frown attached itself to Tomoyo's face.  True, Sakura was wearing her design: an olive green cotton sundress, but something was missing.  "Sakura?  Where's the bow that goes with my dress?"

The card mistress gave a sheepish grin.  "Gomen ne.  I—I just didn't think I could wear it; you can't go on the rides with a giant bow tied around you."  She looked at her feet; what she said was half true.  The other half was that she didn't want to go around looking like a wrapped up present.   "Gomen nasai, Tomoyo; I'll make it up to you."  She looked up expecting to see hurt on Tomoyo's face, but instead she was starry eyed with her hand to her cheek.  "T-Tomoyo?"

"Of course you'll make it up to me.  You'll just have to wear the bow next time so that I can tape you.  And then…you'll try on more of my costumes and I'll tape them too.  It'll be so kawaii!"

            Sakura laughed awkwardly, sweat drop forming at the back of her head.  It was an unnatural fascination Tomoyo had with taping her.  Her thoughts, however, were interrupted when she saw Meiling dragging Syaoran off towards the food court, her voice screaming 'We're getting lunch!'   Quickly she grabbed Tomoyo's hand (the one without the camera; the other with the camera was raised, still recording) and pulled themselves out of the line.  "Meiling, matte!"

            When the breathless card mistress had caught up to Meiling at the food stand, the latter already had a bowl of soba noodles in her hands.  "Kinomoto; you're too slow.  Me and Syaoran will find a table while you and Tomoyo wait on line."  Before he could argue, Syaoran was in tow behind his cousin weaving their way through the crowds.

"Does it seem like Meiling doesn't like me much?" questioned a puzzled Sakura.

"I don't think she dislikes you; you're cardcaptor Sakura.  Everyone likes you."  

Another sweat drop found its way to Sakura's head.  "Demo…she's always frowning at me.  Did I do something wrong?"

"She's just jealous of you."  Tomoyo had her patented smile, a mix between angelic innocence and sly mischief.

"Doshite?"  The emerald-eyed teenager tilted her head slightly trying to think.

"It's because you have something she wants."  Again the furtive glint showed itself on the videographer's face.

"The cards?  Why would she want them?  She doesn't have magic, right?"

Tomoyo held in a 'ohohoho' at the confusion on Sakura's face.  She didn't notice anything unless someone told her.  Tomoyo promised herself one day she'd show Sakura all her tapes, and have her note just how many times Li has blushed, stammered or fainted in her presence.  But for now, she'd just get more kawaii shots.  "Oh look, it's our turn to order."

All other questions dropped out of Sakura's head as she looked over the vast menu trying to decide what to eat.

______________________________

            The ice cream was chocolate.  Translation:  delicious.  But it was cold.  Li Syaoran held his temples as they throbbed from an ice cream headache.

"Daijobu?" Sakura's face was a few inches from Syaoran's. He smelled the perpetual scent of spring she seemed to take with her everywhere.  Her breath on his face sent shivers along his neck

"U..un."  This was true; the heat from his blush had pretty much cancelled the cold of the ice cream.  Result:  no more headache.

Sitting back down, Sakura glanced at her chocolate cake.  "I think I should have gotten ice cream too.  It looks very good."  A small frown settled on her lips.  Looking up she spied Syaoran struggling with something.

"W-w-would you?  Would you?"  The card mistress tilted her head with a painfully adorable, confused look on her face.  He gathered his breath and finished his question, "wouldyoulikesomeofmine?" ending with a sigh of relief at the end.

"Honto ne?"  He nodded quickly and repeatedly as if he was one of those bobbing toys in the back of cars.  "Arigatou."  She smiled the biggest smile she had that day at him, not without effect.  Sitting next to her was no longer her partner, but a red human Christmas light.  "Daijobu?"  She placed her hand gently on his forehead realizing that his whole head was red.  "You're warm, Syaoran.  Do you have a fever?"  She received no answer for he had already passed out. "Hoe!!  He fainted.  What do I do?  Tomoyo?  Meiling?"  But they had left the table and couldn't be found.  "Hoe!!"

_____________________________

            The four teenagers were having dessert in a confectioner's shop, each with a diabetes-inducing sugar treat.  Tomoyo was watching (with her eyes and her video camera) with great interest at the two cardcaptors seated across from her.  Meiling had opted to sit next to her instead of Li.  Silently she wondered why.  "Daijobu?"  Sakura was inches from the burning red face of Li Syaoran.  Tomoyo breathed the slightest whisper of "Kawaii."  Suddenly, an idea sprung into her head, a cunning, sneaky idea that was bound to give her some precious shots.  Of course she hid her manipulative, calculating mind with a composed smile.  The smile arched even higher when she realized she could kill two birds with one stone.  'I'll get that secret out of Meiling too.  Ohohohohoho'.  Without warning she seized Meling's arm, causing her drop her spoon, and pulled her away before she could complain.

"What are you doing Tomoyo?"  They were now in the bushes two feet away from the table and the two cardcaptors.  The two hadn't noticed Tomoyo's and Meling's disappearance, so lost in their fun, or rather embarrassment on Li's part.

"I'm going to get some perfect shots of those two."  Meiling frowned.

"You know, you have a sickness with that camera and those two."

"But I'm not the only one, ne, Meiling?"  Without moving her camera, Tomoyo had turned her innocent/evil smile to Meiling.

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm sure it's not on accident that you took the seat next to me rather than the one next to Li."  Her smile fell at little as the tears welled up in Meiling's eyes.  "What's wrong?"

"Nande monai."  Tomoyo just gave her a plaintive, I'm-not-buying-that-one-second look.  "It's just that…that Syaoran loves someone else, and I can't even hate her because she's so nice and happy and clueless."  The tears she had held back during Li's confession came out as she sniffled quietly.  Tomoyo set down her camera (miracle of miracles!) and hugged the Chinese girl.

"I know it's hard, but think of how happy he is with Sakura.  You don't want him to be sad, right?"

"I…I guess so.  How did you know it was Kinomoto I was talking about?  It's that obvious then?"

"Pretty much, and I have all the proof in this," Tomoyo said while patting her camera.  Unexpectedly she let out a squeal of terror.

Meling's tears had dried and her sniffles had stopped.  "Nani?!"  She looked expectantly at the violet eyed girl.

Tomoyo's devastated face looked as if she had lost the crown jewels of England.  "I forgot to keep taping them during our talk.  Think of the kawaii shots I missed!"  

A giant sweat drop formed as Meiling said, "Like I said, you have a sickness."  Turning her attention back to the table, she was surprised to see a passed out Syaoran with a panicking card mistress trying to wake him up, her hands patting his cheeks.  She was ready to go help Sakura's efforts when she was stopped by a high pitched squeal of 'kawaii' from behind her.  She sighed deeply shaking her head, mumbling, "a sickness, definitely a sickness."

_______________________________

            Sakura was still trying to wake Syaoran.  'Why had he fainted?  Is he really sick?'  She noticed slight movement in his eyes, a thin sliver of amber forming under heavy eyelids.  "Syoaran, daijobu?"  He vaguely noted that her fingers felt warm and soft against his skin.  At once his eyes snapped open, fully dilated to the size of saucers.  Yelping, he jumped back, a dangerous red forming on his face.  She repeated her question, more worry than before, "Daijobu?"

            "U-u-un," he finally stammered out.  "I-I was just…resting, a-and I guess I…fell asleep."  He ended his obviously false statement by looking down at the ground praying that his blood would divert away from his face.  Luckily, Sakura didn't press the issue, her obliviousness having not noticed his lie.

            "Oh, okay."  She laughed gaily.  "You know, I really thought something was wrong for a minute.  Gomen for waking you though."

            Her laugh echoed in his mind, a gentle melodic sound, something that reminded him of bells.  Allowing himself the barest of smiles, he found the courage and calm to look at her without becoming a human cherry.  Dense as she may be, she noted his half-smile, and broadened hers even more.  Feeling her joy and the warmth of a blush at the back of his neck, he avoided her gaze again, opting to stare at his melted ice cream.  He yearned for a distraction and breathed in relief when one had come, albeit a rather annoying distraction.  

Meiling approached the table with Tomoyo behind her.  The Chinese girl turned a wary eye to Sakura, "What are you doing Kinomoto?"  When answered with a 'hoe?' she decided to press further.  "What were you doing touching Syaoran's face?"  She held back a small grin as she watched the mistress of the cards squirm.  'Maybe it won't be so bad if I can still tease her.'

"I—I was trying to wake Syaoran up because I thought he was sick, but he was just asleep.  You didn't think that…?  Hoe!  I wouldn't…"  Sakura trailed off, her eyes widened into two jade pools, her face taking on a dark pink hue.  Her hands were formed into fists placed underneath her chin, framing her reddening face.  "Hoe!!"

Syaoran smiled inwardly at how the tables had finally been reversed; for once he was normal faced and she was the one doing an impression of a tomato.  He also noticed how endearing Sakura was with her face painted with shy embarrassment.  He just wanted to hug her until the sun set, to feel her arms around him.  His thoughts did more than warm him inside; he quickly shook his warming head trying to desperately cool down before he joined her in a blushing contest.

"Li?  What's wrong?  Are you thinking of something or _someone_?"  Tomoyo had the camera pointed to the male cardcaptor, a touch of unnerving delight on her lips.  "What or _who_ are you shaking your head at?" She disregarded the death glare she received, and turned back to Sakura whose blush had not faded a bit.  "Kawaii, Sakura's always so adorable."  She quickly captured Sakura's darkening blush ignoring the face faults of both Meiling and Syaoran.

______________________________

            The little metal ring flew through the air heading for a wooden peg with a whizzing sound.  It was preparing to wrap around the peg like a hula-hoop until, at the last minute, metal struck wood and the ring tipped to the side falling into the net below.  "Oh Tomoyo, I was so close, it almost went on.  I'll never get that bear at this rate!"

"I'm sure you will."  Tomoyo lowered her voice just low enough to add "because you're cardcaptor Sakura."  Her vote of unfounded confidence caused Sakura to falter, face faulting and throwing her ring about three feet wide of the peg.

"T-Tomoyo, I don't see how being a cardcaptor is supposed to guarantee me a stuffed bear," Sakura whispered in reply.  

"I just mean that you can anything."  The sparkles and stars returned to their orbit around the violet-eyed girl's head.  "And I'm going to catch everything you do on tape!"  She breathed in awe at the prospect of all the moments of Sakura's life accessible in a wall of videos.  Her reaction obtained a heavy sigh from her star subject and a few quirked and furrowed eyebrows from the passing people and game operator.

___________________________

"Congratulations! You're the first to hit all the targets.  You've earned yourself a prize.  What would you like?"  Syaoran stole a quick glance at the anxious card mistress, hoop in her hand, concentration in her eyes. She aimed at the peg before a teddy bear; the metal ring flew through the air, bounced off the peg and fell to the side.  She sighed in defeat.  "Well?"

"I'll have…that."  His finger pointed to giant stuffed panda bear.  He accepted the offered bear gripping it tightly before him fighting back mounting nervousness.  He paused, trying to muster enough courage to give it to a certain green-eyed girl.

            Meiling stood at his side, her irritation building.  As much as she disliked the idea of Syaoran and Sakura, she hated indecision even more.  Quickly, she yanked the bear out of his hands and marched toward the frustrated card mistress.  She ignored the 'Meiling!' from behind her as she faced Sakura.  "Kinomoto!" she snapped.  Her once rival turned her confused face.

"Meiling?  Is something wrong?"

"This" Meiling said holding out the panda bear, "is from Syaoran."  She looked amusingly at Sakura's shock.  She added, not without a small smirk, "He must have felt sorry for you, considering you can't find the peg for your life."

Sakura smiled in return.  "I guess you're right; I was close though," she defended.  As an afterthought,  "Honto?  He really wanted to give this to me?"

"Hai."

A wide mouthed Sakura made her way to the next game booth over to face a Li Syaoran still stunned by Meiling's actions.  "Arigatou gozaimas, Syoaran."  Before he could process what had just been said to him, he was wrapped in a hug with the card mistress, her arms circling his body.  "Arigatou."  She tightened the hug feeling familiarity in his embrace, seeing a light green aura around him flicker and grow.  A subtle scent of leaves enveloped her senses, losing herself in the rush of emotions that completely overwhelmed her.  Her heart had quickened as she felt his arms reach around her in return.  Was this something more than friendship?  She put it out of her mind, something to be thought of later.  Right now she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself in her awakened senses for as long as she could.  It wasn't too long when her concentration was broken by the snarls of an overprotective oni-chan.   Quickly disentangling herself she faced off with a fuming Touya.

"WHAT are you doing with that gaki?!"  He faced a blank faced Syaoran, his arms at his side, his eyes that seemed to see nothing at all.  "And you, brat, what are you doing to my sister?!"

"Oni-chan!  Syaoran is not a gaki, and _I_ was hugging him because he gave me this."  She held out the stuffed panda which Touya took scrutinizing over all the details just in case.

"Hmph.  Fine.  Come on, I'm taking you all home."  He walked off having Sakura, Meiling and Tomoyo follow, Syaoran still standing dumb as a post in the thinning crowd.

Sakura called behind, her voice floating in the air like the falling autumn leaves.  "Syaoran, are you coming?"

_____________________________

Syaoran was motionless watching Meiling give Sakura the bear, fear creeping into his mind.  'What is Meiling doing?'  He saw Sakura give him a look of surprise and joy, but still he couldn't get his body to move.  He stood in dumb shock as she walked over, thanked him and suddenly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him.  For once, he didn't blush; maybe it was because he hadn't registered her actions yet.  Maybe he knew deep down that if he blushed and backed away, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.  Maybe he felt so comfortable that he couldn't bear the thought of moving lest he lose this wonderful feeling.  It was probably the last of the three.  His befuddled mind smelled her spring fragrance, felt her velvety hair that brushed his cheek, her arms that tightened around him.  In this state of mystified bliss his arms had unconsciously fastened around her body keeping her close, listening to her heart quicken, though his was as rapid as hers.  Even when she removed herself from his grasp, he barely registered it.  His mind remained focused on the feel of her against him:  her smell, her touch, her heart beat.  His internal reverie, however, was broken as a voice he knew too well tugged at his senses.  'Syaoran, are you coming?'  He blinked; it had seemed like forever since he had moved at all.  Sakura and the rest, including a still annoyed Touya, a vein popping on the side of his head, were far ahead.  Running, Syaoran rejoined the group, to his dismay, too late to stand next to the card mistress, she being at Touya's side.  Even more to his misfortune, his walking companion was a giddy Daidouji Tomoyo and her trusty digital camera.

"I'm lucky to have recorded that.  It was quite possibly the first time Li didn't blush in Sakura's presence, ne Meiling?"  Meiling, walking alone behind Tomoyo and Syaoran, only nodded hiding an amused smile behind her hand.

Syaoran gave Tomoyo a death glare.  "What do you mean the first time?!"

She merely shrugged off his angry tone.  "Well…it may have been the second or third time, but I'm not sure.  I could always play the tape for everyone to count though."  The impish smile curled on her lips.  "And by everyone, I mean Sakura."

Syaoran reddened to the roots of his hair.  "Don't!" her nearly screamed, glad that Sakura was too far ahead and too immersed in her conversation to hear them.

Tomoyo tilted her head.  "Doshite?  Is there something you don't want her to see?"

"No."  He couldn't find anything else to say; he saw Tomoyo didn't believe him, and if the look of her growing smile was any indication, she was going to say something that would make his face hot enough to light a match.

His death sentence came almost immediately after his denial.  "Do you not want her to see that you _love_ her?"  Quickly raising her camera, she was able to capture the fierce scarlet that stained his face before he turned away.  She almost felt the air around him rise several degrees.

"I-I-I…don't."  He silently cursed his luck, having two people ask him nearly the same thing in the same day, both times embarrassing him to no ends.  Worse still, he couldn't even lie; it was nearly impossible to lie well when it came to Sakura related issues.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

"I…"

Meiling interrupted, frustrated by his futile attempts at denial.  "You know you love her.  Am I right?"

He was cornered; there was no escape.  He barely let the word slip out, nearly unheard.  "Hai."

"I knew it!"  Tomoyo plastered a genuine smile of happiness on her face.  "Now all you have to do is tell her."

"I…can't."

"And why not?"

"If…if I tell her and get hurt or…or die the next time we face a Clow card, she'll be hurt.  I can't let her suffer like that."  A solemn air enveloped the three as he left his words hang unanswered in the air.

"Still…you have to tell her.  She'll hurt anyway if you're injured.  She deserves to know.  It's not fair to keep her in the dark.  You know that deep down."  Tomoyo gently clicked off her video camera telling everyone that she was very serious on this issue.  

Before he could answer, Sakura's voice resounded from ahead.  "Me and oni-chan turn here.  Ja ne Syaoran, ja ne Tomoyo, ja ne Meling."  She turned around a corner smiling with Touya at her side.  As a last thought she turned again and yelled, "Arigatou, Syaoran."

All three waved her off and returned a 'Ja ne' except, that is a Li Syaoran who was lost deep in thought.  Abruptly, as though he made up his mind, a half smile touched his lips.  He whispered to himself, too low to be heard by Meiling or Tomoyo.  "When the time is perfect, I will tell Sakura I love her."  His wistful smile remained with him for the rest of the evening until he closed his to sleep.  When his mind clouded over, it filled with images of a green-eyed, auburn-haired card mistress hugging him.  Suffice to say, he had very good dreams until morning.

~Owari~


End file.
